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Shadow Dio
Introduction Shadow Dio (邪悪の化身ディオ, Ja'aku no Keshin Dio ''lit. Evil's Incarnation Dio) is an alternative version of DIO from before the final showdown in Cairo. He is one of the six hidden characters in the game. Shadow Dio is a version of DIO that has yet to recover his full strength and learn the power of his Stand, ''The World, which at this point appears only as a silhouette. His face is always covered in darkness and his voice is distorted to create a feeling of mystery. Shadow Dio, unlike the regular version of DIO, is a Passive Stand character which relies heavily on his fast movement. He is a rushdown focused character with massive damage output and simple combos, however, his main weakness is the lack of defensive options. Shadow Dio is considered to be one of the biggest glass cannons in the game. 'Pros & Cons' + Very high damage output on most attacks + Quick dashes that can be instantly canceled + Simple yet high damaging combos + Fast meter build + Very effective mixups - Passive Stand character - Weak against pushblocking - Limited due to small movelist - Slowest roll in the game - Bad Super Moves Movelist 'Normals' 5A - A pointed jab with fingers. Not the best anti-air ever but does its job well. Very quick, can combo into itself or 2A. 5B - Roundhouse kick. A very good anti-air that comes out fast but the recovery is kinda slowish. Can combo into 5S near the wall. 5C - Quick slap of crazy damage. Shadow Dio swings his arm, striking with an open palm. It is one of his primary attacks. It comes out rather fast and has a large horizontal hitbox, however, it can be easily jumped over. 2A - Low jab. Can combo into pretty much any other normal except 2C. Your primary combo starter. 2B - Uppercut. Hitbox is larger than 5B but it's slightly slower overall. 2C - Shadow Dio smashes into the ground with his hand making several rocks launch into the air. Low attack, hits twice and launches opponent on the second hit. j.A - Downwards jab. Comes out fast. j.B - Similar to 5B but in midair. Amazing air-to-air attack. It can be also used against crouching opponents to a degree. Very fast. j.C - Similar to 5C but in midair. It is good against opponents that are both on the ground or mid-air. Does high damage. While the slowest out of the three, still comes out rather quick. All of Shadow Dio's jumping attacks can be used as instant overheads. 'Dashing Normals' d.5A - Shadow Dio does a quicker version of his 2B uppercut. It does less damage but it can be used to apply pressure from a long distance due to its speed. Good as an early anti-air. It can be punished on block, so use 5S to quickly cancel out of it. d.5B - Dashing version of 5B. Slightly slower but causes more stun, a useful tool to set up a command grab after it. Useful as anti-air as well or when you simply want to apply pressure. d.5C - Dashing version of 5C. Much slower startup but it retains its long hitbox and can be used as a meaty or a combo extension after a Stand Crash. d.2A - Dashing version of 2A. Great tool to set tick grabs with. A useful tool that allows you to end combos early and attempt a reset. d.2B - Dashing version of 2B. Pretty much the same story as d.5B. Decent anti-air and rushdown move. d.2C - Dashing version of 2C. The delay between the 1st and 2nd hit is increased, which allows you to cancel first hit into 5S. You can use this to attempt a full combo from a longer distance. It comes out much faster than d.5C, which makes is a great follow-up tool after a Stand Crash. 'Command Normals' 3C - Slide with an extended arm. Comes out rather quick, grounds enemies. Useful to finish off combos if your opponent is not in Stand Mode, otherwise they most likely won't be even moved by this move which ends in a big punish. 6C/4C (close) - Shadow DIO tosses the opponent across the stage. If a wall was close opponent will bounce off it. Causes hard knockdown. 'Unique Moves' ''The Shadowed World'' - S''' (Air OK) The World's silhouette comes out and quickly punches the opponent. This move can be used to cancel any normal attack, allowing Shadow Dio to recover faster and continue his offense. The direction in which The World will attack depends on the directional button held while performing this move. 5S or j.5S - The fastest out of the three versions of this attack, The World's silhouette punches straightforward. Learning to utilize this move properly is a very important factor in Shadow Dio's game plan. This move can be used during rushdown, footsies and even mixups. 2S or j.2S - The World punches downwards. It's much slower than the regular version. This version of the move can't combo on its own. Scores a knockdown if it hits from the ground 4S or j.4S - The World punches upwards. It's much slower than the regular version. This version of the move can't combo. Can be used as an anti-air move, however, all variants can be blocked midair. ''Guard Cancel'' - '623 + A/B/C '(while blocking) The World's silhouette appears and bashes the opponent away quickly. Shadow Dio can follow up with 5C for more damage after it connects. '''Special Moves ''Divine Drink'' -''' 623 + A/B/C' Shadow Dio arcs his hand and after a short charge grabs the opponent and slowly drains their blood away. This move is usually useless when performed at random during the game, mostly due to its long startup time and even longer recovery, but it's an effective mix-up tool. It is a Command Grab, therefore it's unblockable. Upon finishing draining the blood, Shadow Dio tosses the opponent across the stage. Opponents cannot recover after being thrown away. ''The Scale Of Horror - 421 + A/B/C Shadow Dio takes out a book and opens it for a short moment. This move acts as a counter against any type of move except grabs, therefore, unlike all other counter moves in the game, it can also be used against projectiles. When successful, Shadow Dio will teleport behind the opponent (most of the time) leaving them wide open for your counterattack. Due to short active period, long start-up and long recovery, the move's usually useless unless you can read your opponent well and you get used to its timing. ''Throwing Knives'' - 41236 + A/B/C, 632 + A/B/C, 214 + AA Shadow Dio takes out his knives and throws 5 of them towards the opponent. Depending on the button pressed, the formation of knives will be different. A - Straight in a small spread. B - Spread upwards. C - Straight, concentrated near the ground. Using the follow-up (632A/B/C) will allow Shadow Dio to throw 4 more knives, again the attack button pressed dictates the formation in which they will be thrown. Finally, after throwing two volleys of knives, Shadow Dio can cancel the move into his (214AA) Super, Charisma! for 2 bars of super. About the super itself later. A small note about this move is that while dragging out his knives, Shadow Dio's hitbox becomes slightly shorter. The knife toss has a very long startup time, but after the first volley, the recovery is very fast allowing you to follow up with some moves if opponent blocked the knives. Opponents hit by the knives become stunned for a short period of time, but long enough for you to combo them from mid-screen with d.5C or d.2C, or with 64214A/B from full-screen. The second volley can be useful to deal bonus chip damage against the opponents without their Stands ON, however, you cannot combo after it. The Super follow-up can be useful when the opponent is close to the corner or when they have no means of preventing it from happening, as it is unblockable. ''Space Ripper Stingy Eyes'' - 63214 + A/B/C '(can be charged) Shadow Dio's 'eye laser' attack that goes across the whole screen. If held long enough Shadow Dio will flash Red. During this period the laser will become unblockable and deal more damage but Dio will take more time to recover. The A version is the fastest one and the unblockable charges very fast. The other versions deal more damage at cost of long startup and recovery, plus the charge takes much longer, therefore it is advised to use the A version only. The opponent can duck under the beam without a Stand ON, though some characters can duck under it even with it. Depending on the button pressed the laser will take a different amount of time to charge. Stronger button means more damage for bonus charge/recovery time. ''XXI - The World - '41236 + S ' Similar to 5S attack, The World comes out and punches the opponent 3 times, third hit resulting in a launcher. This move works very well as a meaty during 50/50 setups. Just mind that it is also very easy to punish on block, so try to not use this move from mid-screen and make sure that the opponent won't be able to punish you after blocking it. '''Super Moves Punishment! - 236 + AA The World comes out and drives its fist into the opponent. Once hit the opponent will be temporarily stopped. That allows Shadow Dio to stop time and surround the enemy with knives. This super is punishable when blocked up close and can be easily jumped over, so be careful while using it. It is Shadow Dio's most damaging super and works well as an ender after a stand crash that was not caused by an S attack. URYYYYYY! - 623 + AA, 623 + AA (Can be charged) Despite its name, this move doesn't make Shadow Dio use his war cry. He swoops back and then performs a powerful arching swing downwards which is air unblockable and counts as an overhead. You can hold the button down to make Shadow Dio zoom across the stage very fast. If the move hits successfully, you can perform the (623AA) follow up for another stock of super. In fact, the follow-up needs to be held for a short moment to connect. For 1+1 bars this super uses it does insanely low damage, not to mention the long startup and that it is punishable on block. Players often consider this move to be the worst super in the game. Still, it feels very satisfying to finish down an opponent with its follow-up. Charisma! - 214 + AA (Level 2 Super) Shadow Dio releases vampiric spores from his hair after yelling out his war cry WRYYYYYY. The startup of this super consumes 1 super stock, then another 1 stock after the super flash. The move itself and spores are unblockable. Very useful tool for resetting combos and damage in the corner, although flawed as depending on who the opponent is, they can attempt to counter it with a regular move or Super or simply roll through it with proper timing. Best used after a Stand Crash hard knockdown. It can be used during a Time Stop for damage or to set up a trap. Toki Wo Tomare! Time, Stop! '''- A, 6, C, 4, S''' (Level 2 Super) Shadow Dio stops the time. Unlike regular DIO and Jotaro, Shadow Dio does not have a Super Flash while performing this move. After being used, time stops and you can bash your opponent until the meter runs out. It is best to set up this super after 623A/B/C command grab or after a regular grab or stand crash 3C/d.2C. Shadow Dio can do some decent damage during his time stop and gaining meter is not very hard for him. Right after Time Stop ends (the screen's colors fade back to normal and the opponent is being sent flying), you can let out a bonus 5S attack, though it is very hard to time properly. If you positioned yourself properly, the S attack will hit for some bonus damage afterward. You can use the WRYYYYYY! and Charisma! supers during Time Stop. WRYYYYYY! is a good super to use when Time Stop was performed with less than 4 full bars and you're far away from the opponent. It is useful as a finishing from fullscreen. Alternatively, you can use the 63214C laser to do a similar amount of damage. When Time Stopping with more super gauge or after a stand crash while the opponent is close, Charisma! will do a large amount of damage when used and you can still attack the opponent after it. Combos You can start most of these combos from j.A/j.B/j.C/j.S. Note that 5A and 2A can be interchangeable. 'Shadow Dio's Loop' ... 1A 5C 5S 66 ... - The combo you must learn. 66 dash into 1A the most important thing you need to learn with Shadow Dio's combos. This is a dash cancel. In order to perform it tap down+back (1) after performing any dash. A very useful thing, not only for Shadow Dio. This is Shadow Dio's infinite in its simplest pure form. However, due to nature of combos that use the same move over and over, a mechanic in JJBA causes the combo to randomly drop at certain times with repeated moves. It's best to finish it after the 3rd loop, however, more loops are possible in some situations, and you can extend it after a Stand Crash. Some alternative loop versions that work only in a corner, useful for Stand Crash combo setups: ... 5A 2A 5C 5S 66 ... - Instead of using down+back dash cancel, this requires a properly timed dash to land 5A. Shadow Dio's forward and back dashes are very specific in that depending on how long you hold down the direction, his dash will expand. Release the dash button at a proper moment and tap back. Be careful not to perform d.5A/d.2A by accident as it will end the combo leaving you wide open due to the S attack still recovering. ... 1A 2A 5C 5S 66 ... - Adds a bonus 2A to the mix. Possibly easier than the combo above. ... hh.A/B/C 5A 2A 5C 5S ... - Uses a hyper hop instead of the dash. Very difficult timing but also most optimal, not recommended for beginners. 'Loop Combo Starters' 2A 5C 5S 66 ... - The basic one starting with a single jab. Works anywhere! d.5C 5S 66 ... - d.5C comes out really slow, best to avoid it unless it's used during a stand crash reset. d.2C (1 hit) 5S 66 ... - Your second best alternative from a very powerful low hit. 41236A/B/C d.5C/d.2C (1 hit) 5S 66 ... - In case someone fails to punish your knife throw on the ground. 214AA d.5C/d.2C (1 hit) 5S 66 ... - Random 214AA most likely won't work, but you can combo after it nevertheless in some situations. You're supposed to use it after a hard knockdown. 5A (crouch cancel) 5C 5S 66 ... - Crouch cancel variant, not recommended for beginners. 'Loop Combo Finishers' ... 1A 5C 5S 3C - Ends with Shadow Dio doing his slide attack. Won't work too well against characters with Stand ON, so try to crash their stands first before using this. ... 1A 5C 5S d.2C - In case you need a launcher, however, depending on combo's length might still just ground the opponent instantly or launch them. ... 1A 5C 5S 1A 2A d.2A - Finishing the string with a few jabs sets you up for a possible tick grab. Alternatively, you can just stop continuing to do the string after landing 5S and fall back or do other stuff in hopes of a reset. 'Other Basic Combos' 5A 5A 5A - You can chain up to 3 jabs. 2A 2A 2A - Low slap slap slap. 2A 2A 5B - If you'll ever need it, it can combo. But you probably won't. 5A 5A (crouch cancel) 5B - Similar to the one above but even more useless. j.A/B/C j.5S - Only combos on airborne enemies! Any jumping attack canceled into Stand attack. d.2C 5S 3C/d.2C - In case you gotta knockdown/launch someone quickly for whatever reason. Useful when you're not sure if d.2C will land. 41236A/B/C 236AA - The only way to combo your super besides Stand Crash. This combo happening in a real game is very unlikely as it requires knives to hit the opponent at a specific range to work and the timing is rough, but it's a thing. 41236A/B/C 643214A - In case you want to ground your opponent after hitting them with knives at long distance. If they are hit in midair and block, you may attempt to charge your laser to the unblockable version. 214AA 236AA - This also requires a specific setup to work properly. Also, the bits from Charisma may go in random directions, so it's probably better to use other means of damaging opponent after 214AA resets. 5B/d.5B 41236S 5A 5C/3C - Somewhat useful combo after 5B. Requires you to use 5A right after using 41236S and before its first hit connects. You can add some bonus hits like 5C in between The World's hits or just time your 3C to get a hard knockdown, it's not necessary though. d.5C 41246S d.2A 5C/3C - A completely useless combo considering you can just combo into 5S from d.5C. Requires some crazy timing and isn't really anything good, but it exists I guess. 'Time Stop Setups' Shadow Dio's time stop is unique in two ways when compared to the other characters with this ability. First of all, it only requires minimum 2 meters of super to activate. Secondly, it does not have a super flash during activation, which in some situations makes it harder to react to. In order to properly setup a time stop, you can either use Shadow Dio's command grab which should give you enough time to perform it or cause a Stand Crash with his 3C slide attack or 2nd hit of d.2C. Stuff to do during the Time Stop: 64214C - Fullscreen laser, useful when time stopping with a low amount of meter, try charging it for even more damage. 623AA - Use it only when time stopping with low meter and when the opponent cannot be hit by the laser due to their lower hitboxes. d.5C/5C 5S 5C 5C 5S 5C 5C ... - Bash opponent with your strongest normals. Roughly 50% damage with Max meter. Useful when you don't have too much meter and you don't know what else to do. The damage may scale poorly in some cases. 41236C 632C 41236C 632C 41236C 632C (jump behind the opponent) 214AA - 3 full sets of knives into Charisma from the other side. One of the most damaging combinations. Requires Max meter. Around 70% damage if done properly, however, the damage may scale poorly in some cases. 41236C 632C 41236C 632C 41236C 632C 41236C 63214C 63214C - The highest damaging setup we could figure out. The damage may scale poorly in some cases. 214AA (whiff) - Charisma can be used to set up a nearly instant unblockable, letting you follow up as long as you didn't hit the opponent during the time stop or they didn't jump/evade just as it ended. It also works great if an opponent jumped in the air before time stop happened and are about to land directly in it. Note: You can land a 5S attack just as the time stop ends. Position yourself properly to land it for bonus damage. General Strategy 'Summary' Shadow Dio's moves work well for a rushdown heavy playstyle, and that's what you should be focusing on mostly. Your plan is simple and it is to open up your opponent and deal massive damage with simple combos. He can easily switch between Low and High attacks during his attempts at rushing down his opponents and his Stand attacks can be used as a short-range projectile to punish many moves or to set up a safer approach or to just poke and chip at opponent's health or stand gauge. Still, it's a tool to not be abused, as a spammy Shadow Dio is very easy to punish, especially when you mistime your attack. Lack of any wake-up tools also adds bonus risk as a simple knockdown may prove fatal. Remember that you also have a few projectile attacks to help you during the game: although slow, knives can be used for chip damage, long-range punish and combo starters, while the laser is just great for long-range projectile wars. The unblockable version of the laser can become one of your best late anti-airs if timed right and generally free damage. The long startup time of your projectile attacks and laser's recovery time can mess you up though, therefore, you should be only using them when the opponent least expects them, or from fullscreen against chars that don't have any long-range attacks to counter with. Shadow Dio has a variety of very good airborne attacks which are capable of beating most characters in the air, plus he can combo with 5S attack afterward if they were hit midair. Using j.5S to hit opponents while jumping behind them is possibly his best strategy as this maneuver is incredibly hard to punish and confuses the opponent about the direction they should be blocking it. One of many strengths of Shadow Dio is his ability to quickly perform Stand Crash combos and his strong oki game. Two or three well-placed combos can end the round. Do not abuse his Super attacks as they can be easily punished, while others are very situational or useless. Save your meter for the Time Stop and use 236AA super only in case of danger. Charisma can be used as a powerful reset tool if done right or at the very least deal bonus high damage. You can attempt to play defensively as Shadow Dio is good at poking thanks to his fast dash attacks and 5S/j.5S, however, he's susceptible to quick dashes as he cannot punish them while his Stand is out. Always remember to mix your strategy to be unpredictable to your opponent. 'Okizeme/Resets' Shadow Dio has a lot of moves which cause hard knockdown (his regular and command grab, 3C, 2S), this allows him to attempt a variety of things during opponent's wake-up period # A well placed 41236S next to the opponent is a meaty and sets up for a pure high low 50/50 against most characters (their crouching hurtbox has to be tall enough). Follow up with either an immediate: * -9a * -2a Then let the stand continue the combo and use 3c after it ends to set up for some more oki 2. '''It's pretty dirty, but Sdio also has a low/throw game against the opponent. His 663c is very easy to time as a meaty. So if timed right you can either: * grab at the end of the opponent's wakeup animation * Use a meaty 663c 5s into loop if you anticipate a throw tech '''3. '''A well timed j.S (while jumping over enemy) often confuses the opponent about the side from which they should be blocking. Very effective and you can do 2a5c5s etc if it lands. Might not work on opponents that have quicker wakeups '''4. '''3C can be canceled into other moves, which makes it useful to confuse enemies about which attack they should block, plus it can cut a long distance quick, though it's not required. * ~3C xx 623A/B/C - Forces opponent to hold low to block the sliding attack. Cancel the slide in the last moment to set up an unblockable grab, hard to react to. * ~3C xx 214AA. Use 3C to get as close to the opponent to possible and set up an unblockable 2 bar super. Combo afterward if possible. * You can also set up his high low 50/50 against some characters like this instead : ~3C xx 41236S 2A or 9a '''5. Empty Jump is also a good option. An empty jump over the opponent into regular grab works well. Same with double empty jump double crossover into grab. '''6. '''Tic throws are fantastic with sdio. Here are some simple tic throw options * 2a grab * 662a grab * jump, delayed 8a grab Matchup Strategy Abdul Alessi Black Polnareff Chaka Devo DIO Hol Horse Hol & Boingo Iggy Joseph Jotaro Kakyoin Khan Mariah Midler New Kakyoin Petshop Polnareff Shadow Dio Rubber Soul Vanilla Ice Young Joseph Trivia *Shadow Dio is capable of attacking after his Time Stop ends under specific circumstances only on the Player 2 side. *When fighting Shadow Dio as a CPU opponent in either Story Mode or Challenge Mode, he can use his Charisma super with just 1 stock of super meter left. *He is the only hidden character in the game fought as the CPU. *Like all other characters with a Time Stop, Shadow Dio can input his Time Stop command during another character's Time Stop to move in the stopped time (requires minimum 1 stock of super meter). References https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J22cmpARZ6U - BnB combos by Aleph Null. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFLjkgYEZIg - Stand Crash combo example. Category:Characters